DISARM those JALAPENOS!

Wednesday

Jul 10, 2013 at 10:17 PMJul 10, 2013 at 10:25 PM

Laura Kurella

QUIP: Love the flavor of a Jalapeño – so long as it’s not too hot – but cutting them always manages to have me getting some in my eyes or nose, which makes both burn, burn, burn! I needed to find a way to control both so that I could enjoy that jalapeño without it harming any of my senses!

TIP: It is possible to disarm that jalapeño so you can enjoy it fully. I have found that wearing rubber gloves is the most important defense in keeping the burning juices off your hands, which is how it ends up in your eyes and nose, etc.

Being careful to wash everything with lots of soap and water while still wearing the gloves is also key. This kills two birds with one stone because the gloves are washed at the same time too. For this reason, I use a plastic or glass cutting board, as they are not as porous as a wooden board.

There are two easy ways to lower the heat in that Jalapeño. The first is to remove the seeds and the second is to remove the ribs inside the pepper. These areas contain the most heat. Likewise, if you want that pepper as hot as it can be, leave them in!